Middleton’s Pazdziorny determined to play for Salem State team, become teacher

Saturday

Aug 25, 2012 at 12:01 AMAug 25, 2012 at 11:05 PM

Teaching is in her blood, and she’s resolved to be standing at the head of a class, passing on knowledge to new minds every year.

Joshua Boyd/Wicked Local Middleton

Teaching is in her blood, and she’s resolved to be standing at the head of a class, passing on knowledge to new minds every year.

Lauren Pazdziorny’s mother Deborah and her sister-in-law are both teachers, and that vocation is something that has always interested her.

“It comes from a life of knowing teachers, and I love substituting, it’s so much fun,” said Pazdziorny, entering her academic junior year.

As an extra, added bonus to her studies in early education at Salem State University, Pazdziorny also gets to play some college field hockey.

“It wasn’t at all in my plans at my first school [Assumption College], as they were Division 2,” said Pazdziorny, who is going into her second year as a midfielder/defender with the Vikings. “Going into [Assumption], I really missed field hockey at Masconomet. That team was like a family for me. So [at Salem State] I was very excited to join the team. It’s a different experience because you’re on a different level.”

In all 16 of the 2011 team’s games in which Pazdziorny played, she started at center-midfielder. She scored a goal and added three assists for five points.

“I was really surprised [to start]. I didn’t think I was going to play,” she said. “I used to play back defense in high school. [Midfield] is a lot more running, a faster pace, and we play on turf. The girls definitely have their stick skills at this level.

“Since we have a bunch of new girls on the team this year, the coaches are changing all the positions around, so I’m excited to see what position I’ll play,” Pazdziorny added. “I’m just trying to keep my spot. It’s definitely a lot of hard work. We have doubles sessions right now. I’m very sore.”

Because of her transfer, and not playing as a freshman at Assumption, she still has three seasons remaining, and plans to use them all.

“When I work on my master’s degree in education, I’ll be able to play,” she said.

All of the Vikings are hoping for a better season than the 2011 campaign, which ended in a 7-10 record and saw no postseason games.

“With a new team and a new assistant coach, we’re hoping to do better this year,” she added. The Vikings open their 2012 season on Friday, Aug. 31, at home against Gordon College.

This year, as she did last year, she will work as a substitute teacher during her breaks from school, from mid-December to mid-January and again from mid-May to the end of the school year in mid-June.

“I substitute at the different elementary schools around the Tri-Town area,” said Pazdziorny. “For first or second grade, you’re in early childhood education and then there’s elementary education. I’m getting early childhood for undergrad and then I’ll get my master’s in elementary.

“We also have to do observation hours, and I love just going into classrooms and watching teachers do what they do,” she added.